Charlie Deutsch delivered a riding masterclass as he steered Katate Dori to a runaway victory in the Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase.
Trained by Sam Thomas, the seven-year-old arrived in fine heart having won two of his last three starts and he was ridden with supreme confidence by Deutsch over the three-mile trip.
Beachcomber set the early pace, but Deutsch made his move to take closer order heading past the stands for the first time, with 11-2 shot Katate Dori seemingly enjoying a slight drop back in distance.
Deutsch decided to kick for home turning in and Katate Dori shot clear, leaving his rivals standing and quickly building up an unassailable lead. His rider was able to take two long looks over his shoulder after the last two fences and ease his mount down a few strides before the line to coast home by 15 lengths from the Nicky Henderson's staying-on Hyland, who had come from a fair way back.
The winner’s stablemate Our Power – the winner in 2023 and runner-up 12 months ago – was a further 11 lengths back in third.
Thomas said: "It’s a great race to come and compete in with huge prize-money and I’m just really lucky I have the horses to do so, so huge credit to the boss (Dai Walters) for giving me the opportunity to train these horses.
"As a trainer there is nothing better seeing your horse enjoying himself like he was. If you had a horse at the top of the handicap carrying 12st doing that you would be concerned, but knowing he only had 10st 5lb on his back it was quite an enjoyable watch because in theory he should have always kept going.
"I could see Hyland getting a little bit closer and it was only after the last I was confident he had won. I was down near the line and Charlie gave me a good roar as he went past.
"I’m a terrible watcher and can’t stand in the stands. It’s not very sociable, but I like to have a quiet moment on my own watching. It’s nice to be down there close to the action."
Rubaud battled back to give trainer Paul Nicholls a 14th victory in the Ladbrokes Pendil Novices' Chase.
Harry Cobden set out to make all on 5-4 favourite Rubaud, but Imperial Saint was snapping at his heels throughout as the pair set a decent pace up front.
They never really managed to build an advantage over the field, however, and only Bhaloo was clearly out of contention when the gallop turned up a notch, with Rubaud initially caught for gears and making a couple of notable jumping errors as Imperial Saint tried to assert.
Cobden managed to get his mount back on an even keel and he was back in front turning into the straight and while Boombawn and Mark Of Gold pushed him hard, Rubaud just kept finding for pressure to prevail by a length.
Rubaud's success comes a week after Nicholls’ first Grade One victory of the season with Pic d’Orhy at Ascot and his latest Pendil hero will now be prepared for a shot at the Manifesto Novices’ Chase that opens Aintree’s Grand National meeting on 3 April.
Nicholls said: "We’ll freshen him up and go to Aintree for the two-and-a-half-mile novice race.
"To do that and stay on strong just opens up some options, but the key to him is good ground. We can get him better than he was today and we’ll move on to Aintree.
"He’s pulled a front shoe off and when he’s done that he’s overreached as well, but it’s superficial."
A lovely ride from @JohnnyBurke2 rounding off with a clearcut success in the @Ladbrokes Dovecote Novices' Hurdle, driven home for the @FOBRacing team 🥇 pic.twitter.com/dv6kNg4Oh8
— Kempton Park Racecourse (@kemptonparkrace) February 22, 2025
Tripoli Flyer advanced his Festival claims with a straightforward victory in the Ladbrokes Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle.
Fergal O’Brien’s 5-2 shot more than had the measure of favourite Miami Magic as both made a bit of a hash of the final obstacle, with the latter also stumbling on the landing side to scupper any hopes of rallying on the run to the line.
In any case, Tripoli Flyer appeared to have plenty in reserve, as he galloped out a seven-and-a-half-length winner, with bookmakers cutting his odds for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.
O’Brien said: "He’s got a huge engine and Johnny (Burke, jockey) said you can put him where you want in a race, he’s got an explosive bit of speed about him. He thought he could have waited a bit longer maybe but he got the job done and we were here to win this.
"I felt very hopeful coming from Musselburgh and it wasn’t nice watching him up there down the back. But when he opened him up turning into the straight he was very good.
"He’s so relaxed and has got a great mind which you need for a good athlete, especially these two-milers. Johnny said coming in that soon as you switch him on and away he goes.
"I think he’s genuinely better going right-handed and he does jump a bit right but if it’s nice ground – and I wouldn’t want him running on soft ground – I do think he’s earned his chance to go to the Supreme. He’s won plenty now and definitely deserves a go."
Mondo Man suffered a shock defeat as Mambonumberfive proved far too sharp in the Ladbrokes Adonis Juvenile Hurdle at Kempton.
All eyes were on the Gary and Josh Moore-trained Mondo Man, who had finished second to Triumph Hurdle favourite Lulamba on his British bow having cost €520,000 last autumn after a Flat campaign highlighted by fifth place in the French Derby.
Having been far too keen at Ascot, Caoilin Quinn was keen to settle Mondo Man in the early exchanges, with the 5-6 favourite anchored at the back of the five-runner field, sitting well behind pacesetters Opec and St Pancras.
Mondo Man looked to be travelling noticeably well approaching the last couple of flights, but a lacklustre jump at the penultimate obstacle cost him valuable momentum, while the Ben Pauling-trained Mambonumberfive was still on the bridle and cleared the final two hurdles neatly.
Finishing full of running, he came home a length-and-a-quarter winner in the hands of Ben Jones, with St Pancras in second and Mondo Man a further half-length back in third.
"He was a nice horse in France and always looked like a great big individual who was going to take time," said Pauling of his 10-1 winner, who had sent his charge to Cheltenham on Trials day on his first start for the yard.
"He went to Cheltenham and ran with the choke out, did everything wrong then fell into a hole. I think he's such a big sort of horse he just wan’t fit and I hold my hands up, I was probably so impressed by what he was doing at home and didn’t give him enough graft.
"We got him back and got stuck into him and that was a lovely round. He kicked the first four out the ground and there is improvement to come, but he got better as the race went on and there will be improvement to come as this is probably not his track."
